Ethnic Theatre has as long as complex history as the groups that wrote, produced, and acted the material. Seen as theatre written for and by minority groups in the US, ethnic theatre consists of many different origins, each group having a unique story, from captured african being forced to sing and dance on slave ships to the incorporation of French theatre by way of the Louisiana purchase.
Despite the differences in origin, most ethnic theatre shares common goals including education, entertainment, and social stability. The theatre gave a new generation a way to connect with the old traditions that were left in their home countries and also served as a tool of Americanization, in that it slipped in American ideals, slang, and expressions that helped new immigrants assimilate in America. It also served as a respite from day to day life of poverty in its opulence and glamor, and even when showing more day to day plays, it gave the safiatory ending where the little guy won versus the harsh truth that was their reality. Social structure of immigrants and ethnic groups were organized and built around theatre in that they provided a space so that families could come together and laugh and cry as a community and provided jobs to the jobless and new positions of power to women.
The decline in ethnic theatre came in the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's where a cash striped WWII American could no longer afford to spend money on plays and certain groups were targeted and destroyed because of their race, nationality, or language spoken within different theatre groups and from the government. Ethnic theatre reemerged in the wake of the civil rights movement and theatre gave them the opportunity to discuss old and contemporary social issues as well as a form of self-expression and self-identification. This revival was backed by government funded support for the arts.
India Hodo Ethnic Theatre Summary
Ethnic Theatre has as long as complex history as the groups that wrote, produced, and acted the material. Seen as theatre written for and by minority groups in the US, ethnic theatre consists of many different origins, each group having a unique story, from captured african being forced to sing and dance on slave ships to the incorporation of French theatre by way of the Louisiana purchase.
Despite the differences in origin, most ethnic theatre shares common goals including education, entertainment, and social stability. The theatre gave a new generation a way to connect with the old traditions that were left in their home countries and also served as a tool of Americanization, in that it slipped in American ideals, slang, and expressions that helped new immigrants assimilate in America. It also served as a respite from day to day life of poverty in its opulence and glamor, and even when showing more day to day plays, it gave the safiatory ending where the little guy won versus the harsh truth that was their reality. Social structure of immigrants and ethnic groups were organized and built around theatre in that they provided a space so that families could come together and laugh and cry as a community and provided jobs to the jobless and new positions of power to women.
The decline in ethnic theatre came in the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's where a cash striped WWII American could no longer afford to spend money on plays and certain groups were targeted and destroyed because of their race, nationality, or language spoken within different theatre groups and from the government. Ethnic theatre reemerged in the wake of the civil rights movement and theatre gave them the opportunity to discuss old and contemporary social issues as well as a form of self-expression and self-identification. This revival was backed by government funded support for the arts.